Support for Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba plunged after he admitted handing out shopping vouchers worth hundreds of dollars to newly-elected lawmakers, enfeebling a minority government that was already struggling to pass the budget ahead of elections this summer.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Public support for Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's government dropped to a record low after he handed out gift vouchers to some ruling party lawmakers, a poll conducted by the Asahi newspaper showed on Monday.

TOKYO -- The approval rating of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's cabinet has plummeted to 26 percent after the gift scandal, down significantly from 40 percent in the previous February poll, local media reported.